Q & A: File sharing

Q I recently installed a file downloading program but every time I tried to download anything an error message appeared saying my host/firewall was not connecting to the host on port 6364.

I have contacted my ISP and turned the firewall off. On the website there is a link to check for router problems but I don’t know exactly what this is.

A The router is a box through which many of us connect to our broadband internet links. It’s normally connected straight to the ADSL socket or micro-filter.

It differs from an ADSL modem in that it connects to your PC wirelessly or through the network socket rather than the USB port. It sounds as though you have one, because otherwise stopping the firewall would have enabled your download to work.

What you need to do is ‘port forwarding’ – by default the router is set up to stop all extraneous traffic, so you need to tell it that your downloading program is allowed to connect. For instructions, go to Portforward.com. Note, you might need to do this to play some online games.

Finally, a note of warning – remember that using file-sharing services to download copyright material is illegal, so stick to legitimate content when downloading files.